West Papuan workers walk off at Freeport mine

West Papuan workers walk off at Freeport mine

West Papuan workers at the Freeport gold and copper mine in the mountains of West Papua have walk off the job on Tuesday 17 April 2007.

Workers are demanding a better deal for Papuans workers and the traditional landowners at the mine.

Freeport is said to have 9,000 employees directly under its management in Indonesia, a third of these are Papuans.

Sources in Timika said that there was 3-4,000 employees of the Freeport project were demonstrating there today.

Representatives of Tongoi Papua, an organisation established to negotiate between Papuans and the company, said they would be meeting with the Freeport's President for Indonesia tomorrow to further discuss the workers demands.

It is reported in the international media that workers are seeking to meet with Freeport Chief executives based in New Orleans.

Workers are demanding increases in the wages of mine workers and to ensure that Papuan people derive a greater share of the benefits from the mine. They argue that Papuan are being sidelined and are not given enough opportunities within the mining project.

ENDS

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